Last Christmas

[ Author's Note ]

So this story is inspired by Wham!'s Last Christmas because it is one of my favorite Christmas songs despite how emo it is. Anyways. The two main characters are casted, and you can see the character cards that I made for them up there ^^! I hope you enjoy this one-shot! Happy Christmas everyone! (or happy holidays!)

・❄︎ ・❄︎ ・❄︎・

There is the smallest squeak and then sheer sound as I pull the last piece of tape from the roll to finally finish wrapping gifts. I raise the red box to my eye level and smile at the shiny paper that's littered with snowflakes. I reach to my right side without taking my eyes off the beautiful and perfect present to grab a white gift bow. My mother used to say that a gift isn't wrapped if it doesn't have a bow. Just as I'm about to place the bow the perfect distance from the corner, I jump at the sound of my chiming doorbell. I blow one of my loose dark brown hair out of my eyes and away from my face, pushing it back behind my ear. Dropping the bow from my hands for it to fall to my tan carpeted-floor, I move to get on my feet.

I hop a step up and across the cold tiled kitchen and foyer area until I reach the white door. Peeking out the side window, I roll my eyes. I should've known my peace was too good to be true. "Macy, what are you doing here?" I say as I pull the door open for the small blonde girl who is bundled in layers of jackets. She looks like a marshmallow that's going to explode, but Macy always did get cold easily. She drags a pink shell suitcase behind her.

"Picking you up for the annual snow lodge trip." She chirps as she begins to unwrap herself, starting with her scarlet scarf. She eyes me, analyzing my blue button down and white jeans. It's clearly not a look for a winter lodge in upstate New York trip. "Come on, Julian's car is leaving in two hours when Evan gets here. You do not look ready at all."

I shake my head at her. "I'm not ready because I'm not going. I told Julian that." I cross my arms over my chest and give her a look. Macy gives me one back with her icy blue eyes. It's her "I'm not taking no for an answer" look. Well, I'm determined not to say yes. Two can play this game.

She rolls her eyes, almost forfeiting. Almost. Knowing Macy, she has plenty more to say. "I know. Julian told me, and he thinks you're going to be missing out and breaking an age-old tradition. I think it's upsetting him more than he lets on, too." She peels off and places her white, puffy jacket on the hooks next to my door. After kicking off her brown Uggs boots, she follows me further into my small apartment. "We've been going on this snow trip with each other since we were twenty. It's always been the eight of us. When Evan left that job in Philadelphia, he still makes an effort to come to the snow trip. It's the only time the eight of us are together. We've been doing this for five years, Lennox. Don't ruin that." She huffs as she falls onto my black, leather couch. Her emphatic fall almost makes the blue blanket fall off.

I gather up the wrapped presents. "Would you mind taking this up to everyone?" I stack the seven presents on the table in front of her. "I just finished wrapping them all. If you take them upstate, then I won't have to try and catch everyone when the new year begins and everyone gets busy again." Lord knows that will be a hassle. Seven people is a lot to track down.

"You wouldn't have to if you'd just come!" She yells in aggravation and exaggeration. She huffs and grabs the top present, angrily shaking it at me. The white bow threatens to fly off before Macy abruptly stops shaking it. Her eyes are wide when she looks at the label. "You still got him something?"

I grab the present out of her hand. "Of course, I did. I'm no Grinch, and he's still... a person who was important to me." I place the gift carefully on top. "It's nothing extravagant. Just something I picked up at the mall. A jacket." I purse my lips as I look down at the present. I have to hold back the memories that try to flood my mind, but I push them down as hard as I can.